Well, it is a fact that today’s busy work schedules do not allow anyone to go for leisurely activities, let alone have a multi-course meal properly. It becomes especially tricky on the days when you have just piles of office work to do or have guests coming over for supper. No, we are not suggesting that you should have to take grocery shopping or take an early break to manage all the prep. However, with these easy things on hand and a little mindful thinking, you can conjure up a three-course meal in a jiffy, complete with an apéritif, main course, and dessert. Nope, we are not kidding! Read on to know more.
1. Frozen Thai Paste
This is a hot favorite of everyone. Whenever it comes to takeout, we can be all framed guilty for gravitating a little more towards oriental style cooking. Since the dishes take very little time to cook per se, this could be the perfect excuse for you to present a Thai curry with hot steamed rice to your guests for a hearty dinner. Buy the yellow, green, or red paste according to your own personal preference and that’s the job halfway already done. This hack reduces your cooking time significantly. By having other veggies and infusions at hand, you can easily make a meal in under half an hour.
2. Pre Cut Chicken
One of the biggest dilemmas you may have faced in life after having brought home a whole hen is the conundrum of ideas and what to do with them. The simplest solution to this problem is to get pre-cut chicken in your desired shapes and sizes. For example, if you want to make chicken popcorns, you would not have to fidget with your knife as you will already have it deboned and chopped in ziplock bags. Or, if you want to make a tossed cold salad, having ready to go shredded or minced white meat can help you cut down a lot of your prep time.
3. Chopped Veggies
How many times have you despised going to the kitchen after a long day at work thinking of all the chopping and cutting you would have had to do? Too many times to count, right? Hence, now is the time to play it smart. Feel free to load up on the assorted pre-sliced and peeled vegetables that are sold in the market. You may underestimate their value now but when you are trying to bring dinner to the table in a matter of minutes, trust us, they will prove to be your saviors.
4. Frozen Broths and Slurries
We understand that the most favorite go-to comfort foods and dinners are one-pot meals and curries to go with rice or flatbreads. But let us be honest, the base takes the most of the time to come to the stage from where the actual cooking starts. Thus, if you are trying to save up your energy and time, then it is better to make large batches before and stash them in portion-sized bags for later use. This way, all you need to do is just heat them up, modify them according to the dish you are cooking and you will be done before you even know it.
The Bottom Line
Having dinner with your loved ones any time of the month should be an affair that you look forward to, not the type which sends you into a panic mode. Therefore, we hope that these ideas help you to prevent yourself from having a harrowing experience for either yourself or while entertaining your dear guests or family members.
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